You are what you read or Ananda Bazar ki bollo?

One of the very interesting presentations at the just concluded WAN Conference in Amsterdam was from William Powers, the Media Columnist for the National Magazine in the US and the author of the essay on the enduring power of the newspaper titled Hamlet’s Blackberry.

He argues that the paper is an ‘island of peace’ in the age of ‘digital chaos’. Among other things, he argues, the paper “frees up the brain to think”. (Click here to read the gist of his presentation)

“Paper’s great strength is that it allows the mind to ‘settle down’ into that peaceful deep-dive state in which we do our best thinking. This state is much harder to achieve when we’re reading in the digital medium, where there is endless information, and so many possible tasks to undertake at any moment. On the internet, there is no beginning and no end.

Newspapers would do well to exploit these qualitative strengths over Digital Media.

Instead, “much of the media coverage of digital technology reads like product marketing. New digital devices are released, and journalists cover them the way they cover new movies. There’s a cheerleading to the whole exercise, an air of hype”, he said.

To me a newspaper is like a “sparring friend”. You enjoy talking to him, arguing or even fighting at times. And, that is not just a source of intellectual stimulation – but provides its reader a sense of identity. So, you have a paper like the Ananda Bazar Patrika in Bengal – its readers seldom agree with its viewpoint – whether on politics or sports (and, often take the nastiest jibes at it). Yet, they can’t do without or ignore it either – which led to their classic campaign “Ananda Bazar ki bollo ?” (what did ABP have to say)

Much as I would like to believe that's not who I am, I can’t but agree with the tag line of the new HT Café in Mumbai…..”You are what you read”!!

Newspaper Chart-lets and Multi-media Factoids

Later next week (October 16th-17th), the World Association of Newspapers (WAN) Readership Conference in Amsterdam (click here for details) will discuss the future of newspaper readership. Editors and newspaper executives from across the world will present and debate case-studies on strategies for growing newspaper and print audiences across platforms – print and on-line

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WAN runs the “Shaping the Future of Newspapers (SFN)” project, which aims at helping newspapers with strategies to survive and thrive in a changing media environment. Appropriately, the theme of the Conference is “Newspapers can Increase Readership in Tough Times”.

One of the session titles that caught my attention was:

The New Newsroom: Broadcast, Print and Web – Newspapers, which are best at exploiting multi-media and competing effectively in the multi-media battle for audience and revenues;

Co-incidentally, only the other day I was watching the recorded web-cast of the Adobe CS (Creative Suite)-4 launch – where Adobe’s CEO Shantanu Narayen talks of precisely this seamless 2 way migration from print to web, mobile etc which is going to characterize the media universe in the days to come. CS-4 tries to integrate the creative process across all media platforms. (To check full video click here)

Another topical issue that would be discussed at the conference is how newspapers are working for attracting and retaining young readers of newspapers in a digital world – sometimes using Social Networking.

I have often wondered if in our frenzy of chasing circulation and eyeballs – we are forgetting the issue of newspaper readership. Thus while – ABC figures are showing a huge spurt in circulation across languages and regions – the growth in readership is nothing to write home about.

Therefore, it was interesting to read Raju Narisetti’s latest blog post (click here to read) on how his paper is using devices like “Charticles” to grab the typically short attention span of the “Internet generation that lives in the multimedia”. Though’ it might appear to be ‘not-so-subtle’ plug for the MINT (“I mean stuff like this that regular readers of Mint are used to seeing on a regular basis”) – but, we can excuse the ‘Romantic Realist’ for this minor self-indulgence - as this is probably what the future of newspapers “might and ought to be”.

I had touched upon this – in an earlier blog (2000 Monkeys or a 1 ton Gorilla click here) , which didn’t attract any comment. Considering the huge readership this blog commands (!!), I am not sure if the lack of response can be construed to mean – that, such issues are still not on the radar screen of Indian newspapers.

Interpreting The Economist Ads

The tangential new campaign of The Economist – “Interpret the World “ - plastered on bill-boards across the city leaves me flummoxed. I don’t know what it’s doing for you. I simply don’t get it. I think the ads defy “interpretation”. May be I am not the typical Economist reader and, hence, missing the point.. That’s why, despite “e-mailer-a-day” reminders, I haven’t renewed my subscription.

In the past – Ogilvy has done some legendary campaigns (mostly outdoors and also TV) for the magazine especially in the Far East (Singapore and Hong Kong), which won them a large number of lions at Cannes (probably, the highest for any print publication ever).

The vintage Economist series and the ‘GOD’ campaign of Singapore (click here to check and also on this for some more pics) are two classic examples of great 360degree advertising from Ogilvy.

While I can understand the need to be original and different – why re-invent the wheel ? Doubt if 'GOD' too will be able to "interpret" the present 'over the top' campaign.

Here are some of my all-time favourites from the archives– tell me what do you think of them ?

Father & Son

Sperm Donor

Even the Economist reading wife' has the same problem...

(t)errorism

Taking Decisions

the Management Trainee

Forehead

A matter of perspective

Cutting Edge

Obstacle Race

Question and Answer

With that I too rest my case..